The constant political turmoil that Bolivia has experienced throughout its history has slowed the development of Bolivian literature. Many talents have had to emigrate or were silenced by the internal conflict. In recent years the literature of Bolivia has been in a process of growth, with the appearance new writers. Older writers such as Adela Zamudio

Adela Zamudio

Paz Juana Plácida Adela Rafaela Zamudio Ribero , who also used the pen-name Soledad, was a Bolivian poet and novelist.-Works:* Essayos poéticos * Violeta o la princesa azul...

, Oscar Alfaro

Oscar Alfaro

Oscar Alfaro was a Bolivian writer. He is best known for his children's books.- Selected works:* La Copla Vivida* Alfabeto de estrellas* Cien poemas para niños * El circo de papel...

, and Franz Tamayo

Franz Tamayo

Franz Tamayo Solares was a Bolivian intellectual, writer, and politician. The Franz Tamayo Province is named after him. He was renowned for his oratory. A prominent Bolivian poet and philosopher, he wrote a number of educational treatises and also practiced law, journalism, and diplomacy...

 continue to be important.

Nearly half of Bolivia's population speaks indigenous languages such as Quechua

Quechua languages

Quechua is a Native South American language family and dialect cluster spoken primarily in the Andes of South America, derived from an original common ancestor language, Proto-Quechua. It is the most widely spoken language family of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, with a total of probably...

, Aymara

Aymara language

Aymara is an Aymaran language spoken by the Aymara people of the Andes. It is one of only a handful of Native American languages with over three million speakers. Aymara, along with Quechua and Spanish, is an official language of Peru and Bolivia...

 or Guarani

Guaraní language

Guaraní, specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guaraní , is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí–Guaraní subfamily of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay , where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and half of...

. The indigenous peoples of Bolivia have a rich oral tradition, as expressed in myths, legends, and stories; these stories generally have not been transcribed in writing.

Major Bolivian writers include:

Nataniel Aguirre Óscar Alfaro Oscar Alfaro Oscar Alfaro was a Bolivian writer. He is best known for his children's books.- Selected works:* La Copla Vivida* Alfabeto de estrellas* Cien poemas para niños * El circo de papel... Víctor Hugo Arévalo Jordán Víctor Hugo Arévalo Jordán Víctor Hugo Arévalo Jordán is a Bolivian writer and noted university professor.- Notable works :*Los Augures*La puerta*Réquiem*La última sinfornia del mago*Soledad, hoy... Alcides Arguedas Alcides Arguedas Alcides Arguedas was a Bolivian writer and historian.-Background and political and diplomatic roles:He was born in La Paz, where he studied law and political science. He later studied sociology in Paris and represented his country at several diplomatic missions in both Europe and America... Alcira Cardona Oscar Cerruto Óscar Cerruto Óscar Cerruto was a Bolivian poet, novelist, short story writer, journalist and diplomat. Born in the city of La Paz in 1912, he died there in 1981.... Armando Chirveches Adolfo Costa Du Rels Adolfo Costa Du Rels Adolfo Costa Du Rels was a Bolivian writer and diplomat. He was born in Sucre, to a Bolivian mother and a French father. He won the National Prize for Literature in 1976... Gary Daher Canedo Antonio Díaz Villamil Javier del Granado Javier del Granado Francisco Javier del Granado y Granado , was a poet laureate and favorite son of Bolivia.Born into a distinguished aristocratic family with a rich literary pedigree, he spent most of his youth on his family's hacienda near Arani, in the department of Cochabamba, Colpa-Ciacu, a colonial-era estate... Isabel Mesa de Inchauste Juan Pablo Piñeiro Enrique Finot Ricardo Jaimes Freyre Ricardo Jaimes Freyre Ricardo Jaimes Freyre was a Peruvian-born Bolivian poet.-Background and early years:Born in Tacna, Peru on May 12, 1868, his Symbolist-influenced verse, which frequently took advantage of free verse forms, was important in the development of Latin American modernism.Freyre spent much of his time... Jesús Lara Juan Claudio Lechín Porfirio Diaz Machicao Carlos Medinaceli Jaime Mendoza Víctor Montoya Víctor Montoya Víctor Montoya is a Bolivian writer, cultural journalist, and pedagogue. Imprisoned by the dictatorship in his native Bolivia, he became an exile following a campaign by Amnesty International in 1977.-Biography:...

Gabriel René Moreno María Josefa Mujia Gustavo Navarro Gustavo Adolfo Otero Natalia Palacios Manuel Rigoberto Paredes Renato Prada Oropeza Renato Prada Oropeza Renato Prada Oropeza was a Bolivian and Mexican scientist-literary researcher and writer, author of novels, short stories and poetry books, hermeneutics, semiotics and literary theory. Many of his literary works have been translated into several languages... Fausto Reinaga Jaime Sáenz Jaime Saenz Jaime Sáenz Guzmán was a Bolivian poet, novelist, and short story writer. Born in the city of La Paz, he lived virtually his entire life in that city, and its dark atmosphere had a powerful effect on much of his work... Pedro Shimose Pedro Shimose Pedro Shimose is a poet, professor and essayist from Bolivia.- Biography :Born in Riberalta in 1940 to Japanese parents and based in Madrid since 1971, Shimose is best known for his politically-inspired poetry which touches on the themes of national identity and social... Gastón Suárez Gastón Suárez Gastón Suárez was a Bolivian novelist and dramatist. Suárez was born in the town of Tupiza in the southern part of Potosí, Bolivia.... Franz Tamayo Franz Tamayo Franz Tamayo Solares was a Bolivian intellectual, writer, and politician. The Franz Tamayo Province is named after him. He was renowned for his oratory. A prominent Bolivian poet and philosopher, he wrote a number of educational treatises and also practiced law, journalism, and diplomacy... Victor Hugo Vizcarra Juan Wallparrimachi Adela Zamudio Adela Zamudio Paz Juana Plácida Adela Rafaela Zamudio Ribero , who also used the pen-name Soledad, was a Bolivian poet and novelist.-Works:* Essayos poéticos * Violeta o la princesa azul... Augusto Céspedes Blanca Wiethüchter